The present invention relates in general to automotive side bars for pick-up trucks, jeeps and similar off-road vehicles.
An automotive side bar, sometimes called a step rail, is one of the pick-up truck or off-road vehicle accessories which has gained considerable popularity recently. In essence, it is a wide U-shaped tubular bar which is attached to the side of a vehicle just below the passenger cab. It usually covers the length of the cab and projects laterally to the outside of the cab side or door surface. It is usually bolted or welded to the main longitudinal frame beam of the vehicle chassis.
The side bar is an appearance accessory as well as a functional side step and/or a protective device for the door and side of the vehicle cab to deflect brush, for example, in an off-road situation.
Side bars have been manufactured and sold for some time, primarily by small off-road equipment outfits, and now are available in a limited way from larger automotive accessory companies. Side bars, to the best of applicant's knowledge, as available on the market today, are "fixed dimension" products individually designed for a specific vehicle type. Separate side bars of such "fixed dimension" types with different dimensions and/or mounting systems are typically manufactured for different vehicle makes and models, and consequently the supplier is required to stock a large number of different side bar stocking units. The side bar system of the present invention, in contrast with available fixed dimension designs of numerous sizes, is a single product kit adaptable to fit a large variety of pick-up trucks and similar vehicle regardless of the vehicles make, size or model.
More particularly, side bars require mounting on the main longitudinal frame beam of the vehicle chassis because only the main beam is strong enough to support forces which may be applied to the side bar. The overall size of the side bar, both its length and depth, is affected by many different factors. The length is given mainly by the size of the cab but it is also affected by the availability of suitable unobstructed surface on the vehicle chassis frame. The depth of a side bar is given by the distance from the main frame to the outside of the vehicle cab. This distance may be different at various places on the same vehicle.
The design of pick-up truck chassis naturally varies, not only among different makes and sizes of vehicles, but also may vary among truck models of the same make and size. This is caused by the availability of different cab sizes which may require different cab support members off the main frame or by optional equipment which may be mounted to the vehicle chassis, or by other variations such as a two-wheel/four-wheel drive or load carrying capabilities, etc. In addition, the main beams of vehicle chassis are linear in some cases and angled either up or down or in or out in others.
Because of all these complications, a typical side bar as available on the market at the present time is a one piece U-shaped tube of a specific length and depth dimensioned to fit a specific make, size and model of a vehicle. Accessory producers typically limit the availability of side bar to the most popular pick-up trucks because many retails stores are not willing to carry a very large inventory of such side bar stocking units.
Another object of the present invention is the provision of a side bar kit or assembly as a single stocking unit applicable to a wide variety of vehicles because of the adjustable design. This greatly simplifies the manufacture and the resulting cost of the item, as well as simplifying distribution and warehousing, and significantly minimizes demand on expensive retail store storage and display floor space. Important benefits are also available to a customer from the applicants adjustable design, as the customer is able to obtain a product for his vehicle directly from a local mass merchandise store.
Other objects, advantages and capabilities of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings illustrating a preferred embodiment of the invention.